Cape Fear fisheries unite for StriperFest educational day

WILMINGTON,NC (WWAY) — Migratory fish of the Cape Fear need our help. Cape Fear River Watch is raising awareness on the dying anadromous fish population.

Cape Fear River Watch wants the community to understand why the populations are down.

Their 7th annual StriperFest hosts over 45 educational stations with hands-on activities for children with fish experts from Airlie Gardens to Fort Fisher Aquarium.

“Fish like Striped Bass, Herring and Shad spend their adult life in the open ocean and they swim upstream in this case it’s the Cape Fear River,” Environmental Education and Project Manager Kay Lynn Hernandez said.  “They’re trying to get to their original spawning grounds which is above 3 Lock and Dam which is apart of the reason why their populations have plummeted.”

The event started with the catch, tag and release Striped Bass fishing tournament which gave guests the chance to tag the migratory fish and track their routes.